The annual Arab summit that was due to be held in Baghdad this month has been postponed until next year at Iraq's request, the Arab League announced on Thursday.

According to the AP, Iraq has retained the right to host the summit in March 2012, the statement added.

The decision followed talks earlier Thursday between Amr Moussa, the chief of the Arab League, and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.

The summit was first scheduled for March but was delayed for May amid the Arab revolts. The GCC countries asked last month to delay the summit. "We regret this decision," said Abdul-Hadi al-Hassani, a lawmaker from Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's parliamentary bloc. "We were fully prepared to host the summit, but we respect the views of some countries that see that the turmoil in the region does not allow for a successful summit now."